


Let Her Go

by icefire_eyes23



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Normal Life, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:02:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26621839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icefire_eyes23/pseuds/icefire_eyes23
Summary: What happens when you attend your best friend's wedding to a love of your life? Years after the end of Jughead's and Betty's quasi-relationship, Jughead and his wife Veronica attend Betty's wedding to Jughead's best friend. Vughead and Barchie with mentions of Bughead.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Jughead Jones/Veronica Lodge
Comments: 7
Kudos: 66





	Let Her Go

Jughead looked at himself in the mirror, fingers twitching as he adjusted his tie. Veronica Lodge, his wife of three years, came up behind him and adjusted it. The sight of her tiny hands overlaying his made him grin. He kissed the tips of her fingers and what he could see of her eyes over his shoulders crinkled in amusement.

“Look at you, handsome,” she crooned. He snorted with laughter and turned to face her. She was a full head and shoulders shorter than him, and had been ever since they’d stumbled into the same _Introduction to Business_ course at university. His eyes roamed over her appreciatively: the navy blue dress fit her like a glove, highlighting the curves that she’d grown into over the years.

“Glad to know that you still find me attractive,” he informed her dryly. It was Veronica’s turn to laugh now as she moved past him to double-check her appearance in the bathroom mirror, fussing with her lipstick.

“I’m always going to find you attractive, Jug,” she told him. Her eyes flicked to him and she smiled as she put her lipstick in her purse. “You are, for me, the measuring stick against whom any other and all men have fallen short, and you always will be.”

Warmth bloomed in his chest.

_Their coupling had been a strange story: a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, sent to a private university on a full-ride scholarship, praying to whatever deity was bored enough to bother themselves with his grubby, tattered soul, that he could actually graduate. He’d slid into_ Introduction to Business _, a two-hour course, with a copy of Edith Hamilton’s_ Mythology _crammed into his backpack with his laptop and a score of textbooks. The classroom was large and he’d settled himself into the aisle seat in the back row, his back to a corner where he could watch the comings and goings of the other students. He had purposely gotten there early to snag the seat and read a little._

_He was seven pages into_ Mythology _when a cultured voice drawled “and here I thought I’d arrived early enough to get a good seat”. He had looked up at a slim figure that was impeccably dressed with a perfectly-cut bob and brown eyes that danced with mischief._

_“I’m sorry?”_

_She greeted him with a dazzling smile and slid into the seat next to him, eyes flicking over him as they catalogued the gray t-shirt tucked under a flannel overshirt and the crown-shaped beanie pulled back from his forehead._

_“I’d gotten here early for the sole purposes of sitting in that seat,” she nodded to where he was sitting, “only to find that it had already been taken. So I suppose you’ll have to suffer through my presence while I sit next to it.”_

_He stared at her for a moment before she asked him “have you gotten to the story of Hades and Persephone yet?”, tipping her head to the tattered paperback he clutched. His heart, having briefly stopped, restarted, and he smiled._

“So, are you ready to go?” Veronica asked him. He stifled a groan and ran his hand over his face.

“It’s not that I don’t love Archie,” he told her, “of course you do,” she reassured him, “but…”

Jughead pulled his suit jacket on and adjusted the lapels of it, sighing.

“And I’m happy for him and Betty, I really am,” he said. Veronica’s eyes poked at his and she pursed her lips.

“But you don’t think he deserves her,” she supplied. Jughead shrugged.

“She and I were never actually together, just… I’m not sure. It was something, at one point, but we’ve been over since she ran back to him and said that she was staying in our hometown and was going to give him another chance.”

Veronica pursed her lips.

“While I suppose her loss is my gain, I can understand why that’s painful.”

The couple shared a look. Shortly after they’d begun dating, they had attended the wedding of Veronica’s ex-boyfriend Reggie, who had gotten engaged to his wife Josie shortly after cheating on and then breaking up with Veronica. Jughead, at the time, hadn’t understood why they were attending the wedding of someone who had treated Veronica so poorly, but she’d asked him if he would go with her (since she needed to go and make a showing of herself) and he could never say no to her.

_They’d stayed through the ceremony, where Veronica had audibly snorted at Reggie’s vows of faithfulness (causing one of Josie’s bridesmaids to shoot her a dirty look), and through the beginning of the reception, lingering just long enough for Veronica to congratulate the “happy couple” before slipping out the side entrance. Reggie’s eyes were out on stalks as he catalogued how his former lover looked, paying no attention to his bride as Veronica kissed his cheek and wished him all the best. She shook Josie’s hand and smiled primly at the girl while Jughead glowered at them behind her._

_Josie’s lips had twitched but she only thanked Veronica for her well wishes. Jughead stepped up to Veronica’s side and offered her his arm before escorting her from the hall like the lady she was. Once they were safely in her car in the parking lot, Jughead having palmed the key on the walk over, and Veronica had slid into the passenger seat, did she allow her façade to crack and for the tears to leak from her eyes._

_Jughead looked at her and cupped her cheek in one hand, drawing her closer to him until their foreheads were touching. Veronica closed her eyes, breathing him in, her hands coming up to clutch onto the collar of his shirt. Jughead kissed her on the forehead and held her until she regained the iron control that she’d once explained to him that she’d had to grow up with._

_He handed her his handkerchief and she blotted her eyes dry before smiling shakily at him._

_“Let’s go home.”_

Jughead shrugged. “At least I’m no longer his best man. I passed that honor over to Moose when he asked, because I really didn’t have time in between the book releases and…”

Veronica smiled, running her hand down his arm. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me, love. I should know, I was there.” She pursed her lips. “And he didn’t make an effort to come to our wedding, despite being in the same city that day, but I digress. Today is about him and Betty and we will put our smiles on and pretend to be supportive.”

Jughead smiled and leaned down to kiss her, brushing his lips against hers. She smelled spicy and floral and he always appreciated how well she (and her lips) fit against him. They lingered for a moment, kissing, before Jughead murmured “I do love you.” Veronica’s eyes fluttered open and he was captivated by their shade of brown, the spark of mischief, the way that the heat in them had always warmed him. “And I you.”

-

Jughead and Veronica walked into the church, stopping short when they entered the chapel. “Oh my gods,” Veronica breathed. “Someone had a little too much fun with their floriography.”

Mimosas and white roses covered the chapel with large ribboned bows adorning the pews. Jughead’s nose twitched at the scent: it was almost overwhelming and he breathed in through his mouth before realizing that the scent had become so strong that he could taste it. Veronica flat-out wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Did anyone ever tell them _all good things in moderation?”_ Jughead chuckled and escorted her to the back row, and eyeing the half-full church. Jughead nodded at a few of the people he’d gone to high school with, pointing them out to his wife, while she commented on the attire of the other guests.

“Look at her shoes,” she hissed, gesturing to a woman on Betty’s side of the church. “Did no one tell her that leopard-print isn’t a good look for a wedding?”

Jughead snorted. “Well, at least not in _this_ part of New York,” Veronica amended, her lips forming a deprecating moue. “There’s a time and place for those kinds of stilettos, and this is definitely _not_ it.”

Veronica cast her eyes around the church, appraising the other guests.

“Are all of these people from your hometown?” she inquired. Jughead glanced around before nodding.

“Archie never left Riverdale,” he explained in a low voice. “He went to the local college and then started working with his dad full-time at Andrews’ Construction. Betty stayed in town for her mom after her dad passed away, going to the university across the river.”

“When did they get together?” Veronica asked. Jughead shrugged. “Sometime during our college years. I came back to visit the summer between sophomore year and junior year and they were dancing around one another. By the time fall semester junior year started, they were official. I’m kind of surprised they waited this long to get married, honestly,” he said darkly. Veronica, noting his expression, squeezed his hand. Their eyes met.

“You know I adore you, yes?”

Jughead nodded.

“And I you.

Music began trickling in through the speakers of the church. The audience, still only half-filling the church, dutifully turned to watch as the maid of honor walked down the aisle with the best man. Moose gamely escorted Polly down the aisle, glittering smiles on both of them, before they reached the front of the church. Archie strolled down after them, collar and tie slightly mussed, a wide, open grin on his face. He took his place in front of the alter and they all stood up, turning expectantly towards the back entrance of the chapel.

Betty emerged through the French doors and he swallowed. She looked beautiful. Her hair was coiled in some kind of up-do and her makeup shimmered. Her patented pink lipstick was perfectly shaped for her trademarked Cooper smile. Her dress was long and flowy, the straight collar and long sleeves illuminating her slim figure while the full skirt whispered around her feet. She was holding a bouquet of peonies, violets, and magenta zinnia and he swallowed. There was no way she had picked out that bouquet for herself, he knew: that wasn’t the Betty Cooper he had known, wasn’t the Betty Cooper he’d been in love with through high school and their first two years of college.

He swallowed and Veronica took his hand. She was both his Betty Cooper and not, the images of her in his old t-shirt, denim shorts and barefoot, overlaid with the woman he looked at now. Betty made her way to the front of the church and he sat with the tug on his hand that his wife gave him.

_His phone buzzed. It was Betty texting him, as she always did these days. Their first year of college had been a roller coaster and Betty often told him that he was the thing that kept her grounded. She’d needed grounding, that year._

**_Oh my gosh… this lit professor is killing me. He keeps waxing poetic about Hemingway and I just want to chuck my copy of_ ** _A Farewell to Arms **at his head.**_

****

**_JUG. MY PROF IS SCREAMING ABOUT OPHELIA AND HER ROSEMARY FOR REMEMBERANCE. AND PANSIES. AND FENNAL. I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS ABOUT THIS GUY AND FENNAL BUT I SWEAR HE’S GOT A POTTED PLANT OF THE STUFF HIDDEN IN THE PIT HE CALLS HIS OFFICE._ **

**_Do you have some kind of problem with rosemary? Or is it the fennal that’s insulting?_ **

**_JUGGIE THIS MAN well he’s kind of an awkward boy, he’s a grad student BUT HE KEEPS WAXING POETIC ABOUT HOW AMAZING OPHELIA WAS. AND THEN LIKENED HER TO JULIET. I WANT TO THROW A POT OF HIS PRECIOUS FENNAL AT HIS FACE._ **

****

**_When are you coming home?_ **

**_I’m going to be in Riverdale for a few days next week._ **

****

**_Today was just awful, Juggie. Awful._ **

_**Do you want me to come pick you up?**_

**_Please._ **

****

_And so he did, during the freshman and sophomore year school breaks when he’d gone back to Riverdale. He’d picked her up in his old pickup and turned on music, driving around their tiny town. He’d put on Rise Against and they would sing to_ Swing Life Away, _the guitar chords plucking at his heartstrings. He held her hand while he drove and she cried, telling him how terrible things were with Archie, how depressed he’d gotten, and how he wouldn’t stop drinking and about the times he would call her when he was drunk. She’d never been able to talk to Archie about how_ she _had been doing, especially with her father’s death, but everything was always about Archie and his problems those days._

_Archie had been Jughead’s best friend since they were kids, but he knew Archie had problems. He and his dad had been close once upon a time, but he’d never gotten over feeling like his mom had abandoned him, and when they’d been eighteen and nineteen they’d been drunkards but Archie had turned into a twenty-year-old alcoholic. Jughead had stopped drinking after that, adjusting his tastes until he refused to drink cheap beer or Irish whiskey._

_So they drove. They drove and around two o’clock he finally pulled onto Betty’s street, stopping in front of her house. She let go of his hand, which she had been clutching for the past three hours, and mumbled “thanks, Juggie. For everything.”_

_Her green eyes met his dark blue ones and he smiled crookedly. “Of course.” She nodded and kissed his cheek in goodbye before sliding out of his truck. He watched her walk away, not for the first time, and not for the last._

Betty and Archie gazed at one another with Archie’s grin brighter than Jughead had ever seen. Jughead swallowed, noticing the brief flash of panic in Betty’s eyes that she immediately shoved down. He ignored the way that her mouth tightened when Archie promised to take care of her through better or worse, through sickness and in health. Archie told him that he’d stopped drinking but the other man had never had a good track record of following through with those things.

Polly beamed behind Betty, looking more pleased about no longer being the only married Cooper daughter than she was for Betty to actually be married. Moose winked as his long-term girlfriend Midge as Betty swallowed and pasted on her patented smile.

“I, Betty, take thee, Archie, to be my lawfully wedded husband.”

Jughead’s grip on Veronica’s hand tightened. She squeezed his fingers reassuringly, glancing at him before returning her gaze to the couple at the front of the church.

“To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse.”

_Betty settled into the crook of his arm, curling against him on the couch. Archie had passed out in the armchair upstairs some time ago, snoring loudly enough that he was so deep in sleep he wouldn’t wake up until midday tomorrow. Jughead pulled her into him and she rested her cheek on his shoulder. They sat in silence for a while, listening to the breathing of the other before Jughead lifted a hand and began stroking her hair. Betty made a contented noise and he continued the motion until her own breathing evened out and she slept._

_He took the opportunity to look at her. They’d just finished freshman year of college and things had changed. Jughead was finding a fast friend in Veronica, who he studied and spoke with. He’d mentioned Veronica to Betty only once and watched the way that Betty’s face fell when he described her. After that, he never brought her up again._

_Jughead kissed Betty on the forehead and slid out from under her, settling her fully on the couch. She reached for him and wrapped her fingers around his wrist when he pulled a blanket up over her. Her eyes blinked open and she murmured “love you, Juggie” before falling asleep. Jughead stared at her before going upstairs to sleep in Archie’s spare bedroom._

“For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health.”

_“What the fuck, man?” Jughead bellowed at Archie, who was sneering at him. “Why would you say that to Betty?” Archie barked out a laugh and thrust his chin up, telling Jughead “you wouldn’t understand, man. I love Betty and I’m going to marry that girl someday.”_

_Jughead stared at him. “And your way of telling her that you love her is to make her feel sorry for you? Does she even know how much you’re drinking these days?”_

_Archie shrugged, taking another swig of the gin and tonic he’d poured himself. “She knows that I’m having a rough go of it, yea. But she’s perfect,” Archie said, eyes shining, “and no matter how drunk I get, that’s one of the things that I never forget.”_

_Jughead had been tempted to hit his friend but never could bring himself to actually do it. After all, Archie hadn’t known about Jughead and Betty from the years prior, their awkward teenage whatever-it-was all but evaporating after they’d graduated high school. They’d never told anyone that they’d spent their weekends together, talking when they could, but together. Always_ together _. And now Archie was claiming heavy drunkenness to get Betty’s attention, to make her care about him and want to care_ for _him._

_Instead of punching Archie right in his fucking face, Jughead just scowled and took another sip of his drink, returning his attention to the video game they both were playing._

_“Whatever, man.”_

“To love and to cherish, ‘til death do us part.”

Jughead swallowed again as the couple exchanged “I do”s. Veronica had wrapped her arm around his and was watching him worryingly from underneath her eyelashes. He flashed her a soft smile and kissed her on the top of the head, reminded of the beginning of their own relationship.

_They’d gone ahead and said “fuck it” after graduating from college. Veronica had inherited her father’s business and Jughead had landed a spot in the marketing department. It had originally grated on him to have Veronica pull some strings, but she’d explained to him that that was how business works._

_“And I’d rather have you there than anyone else, Jug,” she told him, eyes boring into his, the fierceness of her tone startling him. “The company is full of old fuddie-duddies who won’t listen to a damn thing I have to say, and I need someone to work with who is by my side. And I want that person to be you.”_

_They’d begun working together. After closing a particularly beneficial deal, Veronica had insisted on taking Jughead out to dinner on the company dime. He’d rolled his eyes but acquiesced: after all, he couldn’t say no to his best friend. He couldn’t do that after the years of group projects in college, after all of the hours spent in the library, after ranting to one another about whatever book Jughead was reading at the time. Veronica began editing his stories and helped him submit his applications to various publications, celebrating with him when his first novel had been picked up._

_He’d written in between the hours spent at the office and Veronica had been there supporting him every step of the way. He’d told her at their celebration dinner that his second novel had been picked up by the publishing company and she’d gaped at him before gripping the sides of his face and pulling her lips to his._

_She tasted of the wine they’d been drinking, of the chocolate they’d had for dessert, and of salvation._

_Just as quickly as she’d kissed him she let him go, exclaiming “that’s amazing, Jughead! I’m so proud of you!” He’d stared at her before leaning forward to capture her lips against his, feeling her smiling against him. That had been the start._

The preacher pronounced Archie and Betty “man and wife!” and the church exploded in applause. Betty collected her bouquet from Polly and wrapped her arm around Archie, smiling for the crowd. They walked down the aisle and Betty locked eyes with Jughead for a moment. He nodded at her and Betty’s smile became forced for just a moment before she refocused on the door of the church.

The newlyweds exited the church. The audience streamed out after them, a river of people pooling in the courtyard before trickling into the reception area. Jughead and Veronica stood at the back of the crowd, listening to everyone chatter excitedly.

Jughead looked down at his wife. “Well. That was… something.”

Veronica snorted. “I’ve been to worse weddings.”

Jughead smirked. “At least it wasn’t the half-disaster of ours.”

Veronica groaned and playfully smacked him on the abdomen. “It was only a disaster because _someone_ forgot the paperwork that we needed and had to sprint through the courthouse to the car.”

Jughead laughed. “I got back in time,” he reminded her, and she smiled.

“That you did,” she agreed. “That you did.”

_They’d begun “dating”, as it were, after that celebratory dinner. Their dates consisted of movie nights and Veronica reading through his manuscripts, pointing out plot holes with a terrifying efficiency that both unnerved him and endeared her to him. His editor had penned her a thank-you note after his third novel, addressing it to **the woman who ensures Forsythe figures out what bloody reality he’s writing in.** Veronica had burst out laughing when she’d seen the card. Jughead had initially been embarrassed when handing it over. _

_Veronica read it and smiled at him. “That was really sweet of Ethel. She didn’t need to thank me.” Jughead stared at her. “You realize that you going through everything saves Ethel hours of work, right? You give me new ideas that no one else does. I’ve no idea where I would be without you.”_

_Jughead swallowed, realizing that what he had just said was the truth. He certainly didn’t know where he would be without Veronica. College would have been lonely, in his crappy student housing with his hours spent in the library by himself. Veronica had whirled into his life like a hurricane and he’d been at her place all of the time, studying or discussing current events or eating together. After Betty had gone back to Archie, telling him tearfully “I love him, Juggie. I want to make it work. I’m sorry.”and walking away, he’d never been able to go back to Riverdale._

_He and Veronica had gotten smashingly drunk one night, a rare occurrence in their working, grown-up lives, and watched Moulin Rouge. They’d been halfway through the movie when Jughead had handed over the note from Ethel to Veronica. She set her wine glass down and laughed, smiling at him. The smile didn’t leave her face when he told her that he wouldn’t know where he would be without her._

_“Well, someone needs to keep an eye on you,” she remarked. “And given that you seem disposed to keep an eye on me as well, it works out.” Jughead nodded absently, distracted by the way her lips formed that smile of hers. They hadn’t mentioned her kissing him during the celebratory dinner a few months prior, diving into their work, but they had been spending more time together. The space between them on the couch gradually diminished until they’d met somewhere in the middle, each turned towards the other._

_“Veronica,” his whispered, unable to look away from her mouth. She blinked and exhaled, lips parting, before they both leaned in. She tasted like wine and chocolate and salvation and hope. He’d gently cupped her cheeks, noticing how differently she felt against him than anyone he’d ever kissed before. Veronica kissed him as though they were made for each other, two bodies carved from the same piece of marble and then released out into the world._

_He’d pulled her onto his lap and there they had stayed through Tango Roxanne and Come What May, the kisses intense but gentle._

_Veronica pulled away at one point, murmuring “I adore you, Jughead. I adore you like I’ve never adored anyone before,” pressing kisses against his jaw and cheek. Jughead pulled her even closer and kissed her again before replying “I’ve never loved anyone the way that I love you.”_

_Veronica had reared back and her eyes popped open in shock. Jughead looked at her evenly. He knew, after all these years, that that was what this was: love. He cared for and about Veronica, wanting her to be happy, but also wanting her to achieve everything she ever wanted. He had vowed to help her where he could and be a steady source of support where he couldn’t. And Veronica took care of him, as well: she listened to his rants and reminded him to eat, even going so far as to order food for him to the office when he was busy working. She took care of him, and he of her._

_“Tell me again,” Veronica requested. She was trembling slightly as though she wasn’t sure he could be believed. The last person who had told her that he loved her had been Reggie and later that night he’d left her for Josie. Jughead smiled and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, running his thumb over her cheek._

_“I love you, Veronica Lodge,” he told her. “But I don’t love you as if you were a rose of salt, topaz, or arrow of carnations that propagate fire: I love you as one loves certain obscure things, secretly, between the shadow and the soul.”_

_Veronica smiled. Jughead swallowed but continued speaking. “You’ve become that space around my soul. You make every day better and I’m lucky that I get to spend time with you. You let me see you vulnerable, and allow me to take care of you in the way that you take care of me.”_

_Jughead kissed her again. “Be with me,” he implored her. “For forever, or even just a day, but I want to be with you. Be an us. Together.”_

_Veronica swallowed and gazed at him searchingly. She must have been satisfied with what she found, because she countered his statement with “marry me.”_

_And so they did. It was a quiet affair, a courthouse wedding, with the only witnesses being the Justice of the Peace and the bored court clerk. Jughead, having forgotten their birth certificates in the car, had to sprint down two flights of stairs, acquire the paperwork, and then sprint back to the office while Veronica stood there with an amused look on her face._

_They’d signed their marriage license and said their “I do”s and she’d slipped a heavy silver ring on his finger. “An heirloom,” she’d told him, the look on her face informing him that they would discuss it at a later date. He’d slid a simple silver band on her finger and replied “not an heirloom” and she laughed, the sound echoing through the chamber like bells._

_“I now pronounce you married,” the Justice said, and they kissed. It had been simple and quaint and bliss. They’d long since moved in together, but now it was truly_ their _home._

Jughead and Veronica crossed the courtyard of the church and entered into the reception area. They snagged a table at the back of the banquet hall for an easy escape. Sometime during the ceremony they had mutually agreed to leave as quickly as possible after congratulating the happy couple.

People continued milling around. No one spoke with Jughead and Veronica and they watched the other guests with interest.

“Ooh. Are we placing bets on which guy she’s going to go home with?” Veronica asked, gesturing to one of the women who had come in with the Coopers. Jughead appraised the two suitors that surrounded her, gauging their responses to her flirtations, and told his wife under his breath “a blowjob if she goes home with the one wearing a bow tie.”

Veronica raised an eyebrow at the man wearing said polka-dotted tie and countered with “cunnilingus if she chooses the other. She’ll have to put too much effort into seducing Polka Dots and she doesn’t seem like the kind to do anything other than starfish in bed.”

Jughead snorted into his drink and Veronica beamed at him. They’d both had their fair share of poor lovers throughout college, short trysts that amounted to nothing but a bit of fun and experience, and had regaled one another with the tales of whatever went wrong (or right) afterwards.

Some of the members of the crowd began clapping. Betty and Archie walked into the reception area, arm in arm, smiling and laughing. Jughead took a swallow of his drink and glanced at the Vans that Betty had put on under her dress, replacing the high heels that she’d worn for the ceremony.

_Spring of sophomore year of college, Jughead had been asked to be a groomsman for his buddy Sweet Pea. He was getting married to his long-time girlfriend Toni, who Jughead was also friends with. Sweet Pea had told Jughead in no uncertain terms that he would be much happier at the debacle of a wedding if he brought a friend to keep him company. He’d mentioned it in passing to Betty and she’d offered to go with him. He had stared at the text message for several long moments before responding **if you like.** _

_And like she did. Betty met him at the ceremony, seated primly on the groom’s side. His eyes found her immediately: she was wearing a forest green dress that brought out her eyes and low white heels for the occasion. She smiled at him while he escorted one of the bridesmaids down the aisle._

_After the tedious-but-sweet ceremony, he’d slid into the chair she’d saved for him. Betty smiled at him and asked him how the photography session had gone. He rolled his eyes and she gestured to the drink she’d gotten for him: whiskey and coke, like he always drank when they were together._

_They chatted aimlessly, his arm resting on the back of her chair, her own arm folded up on his shoulder. An older couple sat at the table with them and that was who they spoke to through dinner and dessert. Before leaving, Jughead and Betty wound their way through the crowd to Sweet Pea and Toni. They both pulled Jughead into a hug and he introduced Betty to them, ignoring the way that Toni grinned._

_“I love your shoes!” Betty had exclaimed, gesturing to Toni’s feet. Toni did a little twirl and kicked a foot up, telling her “I told my grandfather that I would wear heels for the ceremony, but I’ll be damned if I wear anything but Toms to the reception!” Betty laughed and Sweet Pea laughed and Toni laughed but Jughead did not._

_He clasped hands with Sweet Pea and murmured “I’ll see you later, man” and Sweet Pea nodded in understanding. He looked between Betty and Jughead before telling Betty “it was nice to meet you. You two be safe tonight,” and guiding his bride away._

_Betty had already told him that she wouldn’t be able to stay long for the reception, citing that she had to go back to school the next morning and would need to be up early. Jughead escorted her to her vehicle and told her “if you’ll wait, I have something for you”. Betty smiled at him and waited while he walked over to his own vehicle, returning with a yellow and black blanket._

_He handed it to her unceremoniously. “Remember that trip to Florida that I took? I brought this back for you.” Betty unfolded the fabric and her eyes lit up. Black with a yellow border, the Hufflepuff crest shown from the middle of the blanket. The bottom of the crest labelled the house for what it was but a banner across the crest read “LOYALTY”._

_“Oh, Juggie,” she breathed. She wrapped Jughead up in a hug and whispered “thank you”. He stood there with his arms around her waist, her arms around his shoulders, for several moments, breathing her in. She smelled like gardenias and sunshine._

_Betty pulled back and gazed at him. Her eyes flicked down to his lips, once, then twice, and he wet them. He could see Betty swallow and look at the ground nervously before looking back up at him and stepping away._

_“Thank you for inviting me, Juggie.” She hugged the blanket to her chest and kissed him on the cheek. “You be careful tonight. Enjoy the party.”_

_Jughead could only nod in response as Betty got into her car and drove away, down the long stretch of road that led away from the property. He watched her until she turned the corner and was gone. Jughead shoved his hands in his pockets and ambled back to the reception. He’d stay and be social until the newlyweds left, ignoring the pang of envy at the happiness he saw there._

Jughead and Veronica got their plates and settled at their table. They kept up conversation through the interminable and dreary meal that Veronica pursed her lips at but said nothing. Jughead smiled. Veronica had always been his anchor in the “proper” world, often explaining to him How Things Were Done in her household. She’d told him stories of classes on manners and how to properly write thank-you notes layered with comments about her parents. They’d been hard on her, he understood, in a different way than his own parents had been.

Food finally consumed, Polly stood for the Maid of Honor speech. Veronica and Jughead sat and held hands and whispered to one another through it. Jughead saw the other guest turn her head from Polka Dots, instead choosing to rest her hand on the thigh of the third party. He nudged Veronica and tipped his head towards them. She chuckled and shot him a smug look. He shook his head with exasperated fondness: Veronica always wound up on top, not that he was complaining. Her independence was one of the many things he loved about her.

Moose stood for his Best Man speech. He waxed half-poetic about how wonderful it was to watch Betty and Archie grow together over the years, through all of the ups and downs that life had to offer, and about how sure he was that they could weather any storm. Betty’s gaze slipped towards the table then, one hand picking up her champagne glass. She took a sip to hide her momentary frown and then smiled, gazing adoringly at Archie while Moose talked about how good of a wife Betty was going to be to Archie: supportive, faithful, and always encouraging.

Jughead took a sip of his own champagne, nose wrinkling. Veronica had ruined his taste in alcohol, he mused; after years of drinking anything other than cheap swill, he didn’t much care for it any more. The first time he’d brought “bad” beer to Veronica’s apartment, she’d shrieked at him in horror before removing the offensive cans, “ _cans? No good beer comes in_ cans!” and chucking them into the bin. She had then handed him a golden lager, something that he enjoyed immensely. He allowed, and requested, that Veronica buy all of their alcohol from that point on.

Moose finished his speech with “to Betty and Archie!”, toasting them with his glass. Jughead and Veronica raised their own glasses and downed the rest of their champagne.

“They’re going to cut the cake soon, aren’t they?” whispered Veronica. “Because I’m _so_ ready to get out of here.” Jughead nodded in agreement, watching as Betty and Archie stood up from their seats to walk towards the dessert table. Betty’s dress swished around her hips, feet whispering across the floor, her eyes meeting his as a brief flash of regret crossed her face. A moment later she was back to impassive blankness, turning her attention to her groom and the cake knife in his hand.

_The summer after their sophomore year of college was the last one that he’d spent in Riverdale. Betty’s father had passed away that spring and she and Archie were arguing more often than not. They were all still friends in the way that they had been for years, but that was the summer of change._

_Jughead was at his house, his father away for the weekend. His friend Fangs from the next town over had come to hang out. Jughead had texted Betty to let her know he was in town and she had asked him if he wanted company. He said he had a friend over, but she was more than welcome to join him. There was a knock on his door seventeen minutes later._

_“Hey! You must be Betty!” Fangs interjected. He bounded up from the couch and shook Betty’s hand after Jughead let her in, grinning as he looked her up and down._

_“It’s nice to meet you,” Betty said politely. She either ignored or didn’t notice Fangs’ wandering eyes, instead choosing to say “hi Juggie.” He nodded and hugged her in greeting._

_They ended up on the couch, a movie scrolling across the television, as they drank and shared stories of the various mishaps over the past year. Fangs told stories about coaching the local swim team and drew Betty into a conversation about teaching. Betty had explained to Fangs that she was studying education and was planning on being an elementary-ed teacher. Jughead had looked at her sharply when she’d mentioned it but she shrugged him off. It was the first he’d heard of this stay-in-Riverdale plan. Before, she’d talked about journalism with a light in her eyes, wanting to travel the world and write down all the stories of people that she met along the way._

_Another movie and two hours later, Fangs looked at his watch. “Oh man, guys,” he said. “I’ve got to run. We have a six am practice tomorrow and my coworker lectures me when I’m late. Something about ‘setting a bad example for the kids’, or something like that.”_

_Betty smiled at him and stood up when he did, hugging him goodbye. Fangs clasped hands with Jughead before pulling his shoes on and exiting the house, hollering behind him “later, Jug!” Jughead raised a hand in farewell and locked the door behind him, running a hand over his face._

_“Teaching, Betty?” he inquired. Betty shot him a glare before her gaze softened. “My mom” she said in explanation. “She wants me to stay in the area, after… after my dad. And Archie and I have been talking more.” Jughead nodded, turning away from Betty to hide a scowl. It was always about Archie. He knew that Betty cared about him, and about Archie, and that she loved them in different ways. That didn’t mean he didn’t wish that Betty would choose him, once and for all. They’d been friends long before Archie had even entered in the picture._

_“Juggie,” Betty said, laying a hand on his back. He half-turned to look at her. “I know it’s not fair,” she started, “of course it’s not fair,” he cut her off. “It’s always about Archie.” The words came out more bitterly than he intended, his lips pressing together into a thin line. It was always about Archie, always about not hurting Archie. But what about not hurting him?_

_Betty stepped forward into his space, crowding him in the foyer of the small house. Jughead looked down at her, brilliant blue meeting sparkling green, and watched as her eyes closed. She leaned forward into him and he caught her in his arms as her lips brushed against his._

_Jughead threaded his fingers through her ponytail, pulling her into him more fully. She groaned quietly, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him. They stood like that for several long moments, kissing, the ache in Jughead’s chest growing deeper the more time they spent there._

_Betty pulled away from him. “I’m sorry, Juggie,” she said. “I shouldn’t have done that.” Jughead shrugged and stepped back towards the door, rubbing a hand over his jaw._

_“It’s okay,” he told her. “It’s not like I don’t know how you feel about him.” Betty’s eyes welled with tears. “I do love him, Jug.”_

_Jughead nodded, unable to look at her. “I know.”_

_He heard Betty let out a breath before spinning on her heel and collecting her purse from the end table. She slung it over her shoulder and marched back over to Jughead, purposely standing a little too close for comfort. Jughead looked at her, her bright green eyes framed with long lashes, a single teardrop cascading down her cheek._

_“You should go,” he told her._ Before we both do something we’ll regret.

_Betty nodded at him and brushed her lips against his cheek. “Bye, Juggie.”_

_She walked out of the front door and never looked back._

Betty and Archie cut the cake with camera flashes illuminating them. Veronica elbowed her way through the crowd to retrieve two plates of said cake, bringing them back to the table and setting them down with a _thump._ They ate the cake quickly, becoming more and more uncomfortable with the way that the townsfolk fawned over Betty and Archie.

“Want to place a bet on how long it’ll take to get her knocked up?” Veronica whispered. Jughead shot her a look that was meant to be reproachful. Veronica just raised two perfectly-plucked brows at him and he rolled his eyes indulgently. Veronica was always the best at judging his mood and dragging him out of it accordingly. The man that he’d been when Betty had kissed him was not the man that currently sat next to Veronica, one of his hands resting on her knee while his thumb rubbed circles on the outside of her thigh.

“I’ll give it a year,” he responded. “Eight months,” was her counter-offer, and they smiled at one another.

Cake eaten, Jughead and Veronica made their way across the reception hall to where Betty and Archie appeared to be holding court.

“Jug!” Archie bellowed, wrapping up the slighter man in a hug. Jughead politely patted him on the back and said “congratulations. A happy future to the both of you.”

Veronica stepped against his side and he automatically placed an arm around her waist, introducing her. “This is my wife, Veronica.”

“It’s so nice to meet both of you,” Veronica gushed. “Congratulations. Marriage is an adventure.”

“Thank you,” Betty and Archie replied at the same time. They looked at one another in surprise and Betty brought a quick smile to her face. “Enjoy the party,” she said, tugging Archie away to speak to another family member. She turned and looked at Jughead briefly, eyes cataloguing his bespoke suit and designer tie, before smiling sadly at him. Jughead nodded at her and turned back to his wife.

“Are you ready to leave?”

Veronica nodded enthusiastically. “Absolutely. Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”

They left the reception, Jughead shaking the hand of Fred Andrews on their way out. They escaped into their car and were halfway back to the hotel when Veronica took Jughead’s hand.

“That was delightfully torturous,” she commented. “Have he and Betty always been like that?”

Jughead nodded. “For years.”

Veronica shook her head disapprovingly. “I hope she knows what she’s getting herself into. A tasteless wedding is one thing, but marriage is no joke.”

Jughead stopped at a red light and turned to face her. “Is that so?” A smirk played on his lips and Veronica kissed him, smiling when some of her lipstick smudged on him. “I certainly think so,” she purred, “as I tend to take my bets very seriously.”

The couple grinned at one another, waiting until they were safely in their hotel room to begin divesting the other of their clothing.

Veronica smiled at Jughead, hair fluffed out over her pillow.

“Two points to me,” she boasted. “That lady didn’t go home with Polka Dots.”

Jughead smiled and kissed the inside of her thigh. Veronica sighed as he informed her “a gentleman always pays his debts.”

And pay his debts he did, thoughts of another from long ago no longer in his mind. He had let her go.

**Author's Note:**

> To CG: thanks for the ride.


End file.
